Robson, across the Columbia River near Castlegar
Lured from Canada to the Fraser gold-fields in 1859, John Robson started a radical newspaper in 1861 at New Westminster and was elected to the legislature in 1867. A fiery critic of colonial rule, he fought for its end by urging Confederation with Canada. Provincial Premier from 1889 to 1892, he died in office, the last of the colonial political leaders.
The small community of Robson was named for Premier John Robson in honour of his support for mainland BC, and his policy of subsidizing rail lines to serve the mining areas of the Kootenays.
Robson was born in Ontario and came west in 1859 for the Fraser gold rush. He settled in New Westminster where, from 1861-69, he was editor and proprietor of the British Columbian newspaper. From 1867-70, Robson was a member of the colonial Legislative Council and a member of the Provincial Legislature from 1872-75 and 1882-92. In 1889, he became premier of the province, dying in office as a result of blood poisoning while on a visit to London.
John Robson was also editor of the Victoria Colonist, was paymaster for the survey crews laying out the route for the Canadian Pacific Railway in BC, and was active in real estate.
Today his home in Victoria still stands on Government Street at the corner of Michigan Street where it is used for provincial government offices. Robson Street and Robson Square in downtown Vancouver were named after him. His body is buried in Victoria's Ross Bay Cemetery beside other leaders of BC's period of growth from small British colony to active Canadian province.
